This is the daunting moment an RSPCA rescuer rappelling down a cliffside in Wales pulls a sheep to safety with just one hand.

The incident took place on a cliff on the Great Orme, a limestone headland on Wales’s northern coast, not far from the town of Llandudno.

The RSPCA rescuer, named as Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Dean Wilkins, age not reported, can be seen in the footage having abseiled some 30 metres (98 feet) down the cliff in North Wales along with a colleague to reach a ewe that was trapped on a ledge and unable to get down.

The rescuers, equipped with climbing gear, can be seen wearing helmets as they rappel down the cliffside, with houses visible in the valley in the background.

They eventually reach the ewe, which can just be made out standing on a very narrow ledge below them.

Wilkins grabs the visibly scared animal with one hand, effectively stopping it from jumping off the ledge to its death. The terrified animal tries to break free, but Wilkins holds steady.

His colleague, named as Mike Pugh, age not reported, quickly descends to his level and grabs the sheep with both arms as the footage ends.

The Herdwick sheep is reportedly believed to have become trapped on the ledge after being chased by a dog.

The animal was reportedly checked over by its owner, an unnamed farmer, before it was allowed to return to the rest of the flock.